1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a speculum apparatus which is adapted for use by ear, nose and throat (ENT) medical specialists for dilating an aperture in a patient's head, such as, e.g., a nasal opening. More particularly, the present invention relates to a stabilized cephalic speculum apparatus, or similar stabilized medical instrument, which is attachable to a patient's head for concurrent movement therewith.
2. Description of the Background Art
Many types of medical specula, for a physician's use in dialating an aperture in a patient's body in a medical examination, are known and commercially available. Examples of some known designs for manually operated nasal specula are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,576,168 and 5,772,582.
A nasal speculum attached to a flexibly movable articulated arm, in which an end of the arm opposite the speculum is clampably attachable to an examining or operating table, is commercially available and is sold by the French company Micro-France. Other types of medical tools are available for facilitating medical examination and surgical work on a patient's ear canal.
Unfortunately, a problem exists with the known devices in that during a medical procedure such as, e.g., nasal surgery, a doctor may wish to adjust the position of a patient's head, or the patient may move their head somewhat. When this type of head movement occurs, if the medical instrument remains fixed in place while the head moves, problems may result. At a minimum, after moving a patient's head, time consuming readjustment of the apparatus is required. If the doctor is using a hand-held medical instrument such as a nasal retractor or speculum, this makes it difficult to use the hands for other tasks. Where an assistant is brought in to hold the speculum, space around the patient can become cluttered and obstructed.
While the known cephalic specula and related instruments are useful for their intended purposes, a need still exists in the art for a medical apparatus which is painlessly attachable to a patient, to allow movement of an attached medical instrument concurrently with movement of a patient's head.